Gradient-induced
vibrations can fatigue the components of MRI-conditional active-implantable
medical devices (AIMD) leading to their failure. A non-contact vibrometer
was used in a special fixture to measure the vibrations of various AIMD
components in clinical 1.5T MRI scanners. The frequency range of the
vibrations ranged from 0-2kHz with a maximum displacement of 25um. The
vibration values were then programmed into a computerized shaker-table that
was used to aggressively vibrate the AIMD for longer periods of time after
which the AIMD was checked for damage. This study presents a new method for
characterizing the vibrations and assessing their effects on AIMD.